Explore the real-world places that appear in Hell House by Richard Matheson. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Belasco House (Hell House), Caribou Inn & Convention Center, Caribou Public Library, St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Aroostook River Bridge and 5 more.
Remote estate — The haunted mansion
The massive Victorian mansion owned by the late Emeric Belasco becomes the terrifying center of Dr. Barrett's investigation. Barrett, accompanied by mental medium Florence Tanner and physical medium Ben Fischer, enters the sealed house to prove or disprove the existence of life after death for publisher Rolf Deutsch. The house assaults them with supernatural phenomena, attempting to corrupt and destroy the investigators as it did countless visitors during Belasco's reign of debauchery from 1919 to 1940.
While the Belasco House is fictional, it represents the grand Victorian estates built by wealthy industrialists in rural Maine during the Gilded Age. Many such mansions were constructed in remote locations for privacy and featured elaborate architecture typical of the 1890s.
The area where Matheson placed Hell House remains sparsely populated rural Maine, with dense forests and isolated properties that maintain the eerie atmosphere he described.
Main Street — The investigators' lodging
Dr. Barrett, his wife Ann, Florence Tanner, and Ben Fischer stay at the local inn before beginning their investigation of Hell House. The inn serves as their base of operations and a refuge from the malevolent forces they encounter. Ann Barrett remains here while the others venture into the Belasco House, growing increasingly worried about her husband's safety.
Caribou developed as a logging and agricultural center in the mid-1800s. Hotels and inns served travelers, loggers, and potato farmers who came to trade in this northern Maine community near the Canadian border.
The Caribou Inn & Convention Center continues to operate as one of the area's primary lodging establishments, serving visitors to this agricultural region of Aroostook County.
Visit: Caribou Inn & Convention Center (restaurant)
High Street — Research location
Dr. Barrett conducts research here about the history of the Belasco House and its notorious owner Emeric Belasco. He discovers newspaper accounts and local records detailing the scandals and mysterious deaths associated with the mansion during its active years. The library's archives provide crucial background about the house's reputation as 'Hell House' among local residents.
The Caribou Public Library was established in the early 1900s to serve this growing agricultural community. Like many small-town libraries, it became a repository for local history and newspaper archives documenting the region's development.
The Caribou Public Library continues to serve the community and maintains historical archives about Aroostook County, including genealogical records and local newspaper collections.
Visit: Caribou Public Library (library)
Church Street — Florence Tanner's spiritual refuge
Mental medium Florence Tanner visits this church to pray for protection before entering Hell House. Her deep Catholic faith provides her only comfort as she prepares to confront the evil spirits within the Belasco mansion. She believes her spiritual purity will shield her from the house's corruption, though the entity proves more powerful than her religious convictions.
St. Anthony's was built in the 1920s to serve Caribou's growing Catholic population, many of whom were French-Canadian immigrants who came to work in the logging industry and potato farms of Aroostook County.
St. Anthony's Catholic Church remains an active parish serving the Catholic community in Caribou and surrounding areas, continuing its role as a spiritual center for the region.
Route 1 — Gateway to Hell House
The investigators cross this bridge on their way to the remote Belasco House. The bridge marks their passage from the relative safety of town into the isolated wilderness where Hell House lurks. Barrett notes the psychological significance of crossing water, an ancient barrier against evil spirits, though it provides no protection against Belasco's malevolent presence.
The Aroostook River has been a vital transportation route since pre-colonial times. Bridges across the river connected logging camps and farming communities, enabling the economic development of northern Maine.
The modern Route 1 bridge continues to carry traffic across the Aroostook River, serving as a main transportation link in this rural region of Maine.
Visit: Aroostook River Bridge (landmark)
Access Road — Belasco family plot
Ben Fischer, the physical medium and sole survivor of the house's previous investigation in 1940, visits the cemetery where some of Belasco's victims are buried. The graves serve as a grim reminder of the house's deadly history and the fate that may await the current investigators. Fischer recalls his traumatic experience twenty years earlier when he barely escaped with his life.
The Caribou Cemetery was established in the late 1800s as the town's primary burial ground. It contains graves of early settlers, loggers, and farmers who built the community in northern Maine's wilderness.
The cemetery remains active as Caribou's main burial ground, with sections dating back to the town's founding era still visible among the newer plots.
Visit: Caribou Cemetery (historic site)
Forest access route — Path to isolation
The narrow, overgrown logging road leads through dense Maine forest to the Belasco House. As the investigators drive deeper into the woods, they feel increasingly cut off from civilization and safety. The road's deterioration symbolizes the house's abandonment and the decay that has consumed the once-grand estate since Belasco's death in 1949.
These logging roads were cut through Maine's forests in the late 1800s and early 1900s to transport timber to mills and markets. Many became overgrown after the peak logging years, leaving remote properties isolated.
Old logging roads throughout Aroostook County remain as hiking trails and access routes to remote properties, some still passable by vehicle, others reclaimed by forest.
Main Street — Local gossip and supplies
The investigators stop here for supplies before their journey to Hell House. Local residents warn them about the Belasco House's evil reputation and share stories of previous investigators who never returned. The store owner reluctantly gives directions but refuses to discuss the house's history in detail, crossing himself when the name 'Hell House' is mentioned.
General stores were the commercial heart of small Maine communities, providing everything from groceries to hardware supplies for farmers, loggers, and townspeople in remote areas far from larger cities.
While many small-town general stores have closed, some continue to operate in rural Maine communities, adapting to serve both locals and tourists exploring the state's wilderness areas.
Van Buren Road — Law enforcement connection
Dr. Barrett contacts the state police to inform them of the investigation and request emergency assistance if needed. The officers express skepticism about the supernatural claims but agree to maintain radio contact. When communication with Hell House is lost, the police prepare for a potential rescue mission to the remote estate.
The Maine State Police established barracks throughout rural areas to provide law enforcement coverage for remote communities and wilderness regions where local police departments were inadequate or nonexistent.
The Maine State Police continue to operate barracks in Caribou and other northern Maine locations, providing law enforcement services across the vast, sparsely populated region.
Airport Drive, Presque Isle — Arrival point
Publisher Rolf Deutsch's private jet delivers Dr. Barrett and the mediums to this regional airport for their journey to Hell House. The flight from New York emphasizes the remote location Deutsch has chosen for the investigation. Florence Tanner expresses nervousness about the mission during the flight, while Ben Fischer remains grimly silent about his previous experience at the house.
Presque Isle Airport was built during World War II as a military airfield and later converted to civilian use. It served as an important refueling stop for transatlantic flights and became the primary airport for northern Maine.
Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle continues to operate as the main airport serving Aroostook County, with both commercial and private aircraft services.
Visit: Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (landmark)
More by Richard Matheson: All Richard Matheson books
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